Former Player On Why Confident Newcastle Can Prosper

Former striker Mick Quinn tells it like it is when things are really bad and also when things are on the up – as they hopefully are now.

And since Rafa Benitez signed for us in March last year Mick’s been a big admirer of the former Valencia, Liverpool and Naples manager and hopefully Rafa can bring us the success he brought those clubs when he won European trophies at those first two clubs and he did pretty well at Naples too.

Mick Quinn – Newcastle should now be confident

In his regular column in the Chronicle, Mick has talked about how the last four games (all wins) have given the Newcastle players confidence that they can get the job done this season.

But of course it’s a very tough league and we cannot rest on our laurels at all, otherwise we will go downhill quickly.

This is some of what Mick wrote yesterday:

“It’s four wins on the bounce for Newcastle United and the Magpies need to continue that momentum into the next few matches.”

“Their start to the season did concern me a little, but finally the Magpies seem to have developed an identity and a purpose to their play.”

“First of all Rafa Benitez’s men went to Bristol City and ground out a 1-0 victory at Ashton Gate.”

“That, psychologically, was very important for a side who have been woeful away from home for years now.”

“They then followed that up with an extremely impressive performance against fellow promotion rivals Brighton and Hove Albion at St James’ Park.”

“Make no mistake, Chris Hughton’s Seagulls are one of the best all-round sides in this division, and yet Newcastle looked very good against them.”

“Jonjo Shelvey scored and put in the sort of display we expect to see from him, while the back four looked extremely comfortable and I thought Mo Diame looked very good as well.”

“This last month should have given the Magpies squad plenty of confidence, but it’s about replicating that throughout the course of a 46-game campaign.”

Derby County on Saturday will be a really tough game against former coach Nigel Pearson, who is now the Derby manager.

And that game’s followed by QPR at Loftus Road which is already a sell-out for next Tuesday night.

That shows the drawing power of Newcastle United in the second division, but we have to expect two very tough games.

We must keep up the fight, effort and good play we have shown over the last four games and keep picking up those wins.

If we can do that then the confidence will further increase and by October 1st who knows we could even be near the top of the Championship (and at the top?).

That’s the goal over these next six league games and they are coming up thick and fast with two games a week.

4 comments so far

We were obviously a team going through a transition, but not anymore, Rafa knows what he has to work with and now we are a team that looks stronger every game, and the players are now playing for each other as a team, it’s been great watching this summer unfold and now we look forward to matchdays knowing that at least we will go out their and try to get a result.

Yes, Newcastle fans are a breed unto themselves. Salt of the earth to a man. Like the one who at that moment when he didn’t have a Sunderland fan at hand to punch in the face, punched a police horse in the face instead, as one example. Pardew was Ashley’s proxy, and so took levels of abuse that even his culpable boss didn’t deserve.

Jimmy evidently on the same page as Ian. Still using all opportunities to lament Pardews “ill-treatment” and how good he would have been if given Benitez’s remit. This time he takes a swing at generalising Geordie fans as horse-punchers to back up Ians idea that protesting supporters were little more than disgusting louts.

These two are a joke. Sorry, Jimmy, but in my view that us exactly the way a mackem would view a Mag.

But the fans have always been the problem since Mikey took over. Demanding a manager that isn’t a tactical vacuum, a bluffing bullsh1t artist, a foul-mouthed drunk or a blundering, out-of-his-depth, smirking umbrella model, they’ve not been happy with any of them and have had the sheer balls to voice displeasure at them. only after a few years mind. Or was it 5?

I view Newcastle supporters in the same way as I view Sunderland supporters. The greater majority decent, most often passionate and thoughtful fans. As with all clubs however, a small, often highly vocal section aren’t, and it was that group, with a few under their belts, that were at the heart of the bitterness towards Pardew, who I thought of then, and still do now, a hardworking, committed and capable manager who was well liked by the players. Not an elite manager by any means, no Rafa Benitez certainly, but not at all deserving of the torrents of abuse that rained down on him from some of our own. Being accused of thinking like a Mackem doesn’t bother me. I’m not a Mackem, but they have a fine club, just as we do.

health update

My latest checkup was yesteday and after a battery of tests the results show the cancer remains stabilized and has not spread further.

Some background - I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2017 after being in remission for six years. and I completed four months of intense chemotherapy in late July.

The cancer metastasized through the bones and one treatment available I am undergoing is hormone treatment.

There is no cure for Stage 4 cancer and I will continue to have exhaustive blood tests about every three months and CAT-scans and bone-scans when necessary.

I will do my best under the circumstances and I take this as another challenge - a big one.

Ed Harrison

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